Sign up to receive free email alerts when patent applications with chosen keywords are publishedSIGN UP

Abstract:

An embodiment of a method for manufacturing a cable component comprises
providing at least a pair of shaped wire members, passing the wire
members through at least one shaped roller set, providing at least one
cable portion, placing the wire members over the cable portion and
running the wire members and cable portion through an assembly roller to
form a cable subassembly, and attaching a fixing element to the cable
subassembly to secure the wire members and cable portion to complete the
cable component.

Claims:

1. A method for manufacturing a cable component, comprising: providing at
least a pair of shaped wire members; passing the wire members through at
least one shaped roller set; providing at least one cable portion;
placing the wire members over the cable portion and running the wire
members and cable portion through an assembly roller to form a cable
subassembly; and attaching a fixing element to the cable subassembly to
secure the wire members and cable portion to complete the cable
component.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein passing each of the wire members through
at least one shaped roller set places the wire members in a proper
orientation for running through the assembly roller.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the shaped roller set comprises a roller
having a concave surface and a roller having a convex surface, each of
the surfaces configured to engage with an outer surface of the shaped
metallic wire members.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein providing the at least one cable portion
comprises providing a cable portion having a polymer layer disposed on an
exterior surface of the cable component.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein providing the at least one cable portion
comprises providing a one of an optical fiber and a metallic conductor.

6. The method of claim 5 wherein the at least one cable portion comprises
a polymeric layer disposed on an exterior surface of the at least one
cable portion.

7. The method of claim 5 further comprising extruding a polymer layer
over an exterior surface of the at least one cable portion.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein the assembly roller set comprises
rollers comprising a concave surface for cooperatively engaging an
exterior surface of the at least a pair of wire members.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein attaching comprises extruding a layer of
polymer over the cable subassembly.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein attaching comprises wrapping a layer of
tape over the cable subassembly.

11. The method of claim 1 wherein attaching comprises cabling a layer of
serve wire over the cable subassembly.

12. The method of claim 9 further comprising passing the cable component
through a heat source to modify the surface of the shaped metallic wire
members prior to extruding.

13. The method of claim 12 further comprising extruding a tie layer over
the modified wire members prior to extruding.

14. The method of claim 9 further comprising passing the cable component
through a water bath after extruding.

15. The method of claim 1 wherein the cable component comprises a one of
a slickline cable, a component of a wireline cable, and a component of a
seismic cable.

17. The method of claim 16 wherein providing comprises wires configured
to form a substantially circular shape when run through the assembly
roller.

18. The method of claim 15 further comprising deploying the cable
component into a wellbore and performing at least one wellbore operation.

Description:

BACKGROUND

[0001] The statements in this section merely provide background
information related to the present disclosure.

[0002] In creating cable components, such as fiber optics components for
oilfield applications, special care is taken to protect the optical
fibers in the downhole environment. Often, this has been accomplished by
sealing them in a seam-welded tube. This strategy may have problems
including, but not limited to, wherein the seam-welding process may be
relatively slow and fiber optic components with metal tubes may be
expensive. Difficult-to-detect pinholes may form or remain when the tubes
are welded to encase the optical fibers, welding gases may be trapped
inside the tube, which may lead to deterioration of the optical fibers
inside the tube, which may lead to optical signal attenuation. The metal
tube is sufficiently thick to prevent collapse under moderate loads or
torque, or under high pressure, which thickness may take up valuable
space within the cable core. The metal tube may have limited flexibility,
may have a low fatigue life in dynamic applications, and often cannot be
spliced without over-sizing the metal tube.

[0003] Some embodiments have incorporated shaped, semi-circular-profile
wires that come together to form a circular component over one or more
optical fibers encased in a soft polymer at the component core. While
this method avoids many of the problems of seam-welded tubing, it is
difficult to hold the shaped wires in the proper orientation as they are
brought together over the core.

[0005] An embodiment of a method for manufacturing a cable component
comprises providing at least a pair of shaped wire members, passing the
wire members through at least one shaped roller set, providing at least
one cable portion, placing the wire members over the cable portion and
running the wire members and cable portion through an assembly roller to
form a cable subassembly, and attaching a fixing element to the cable
subassembly to secure the wire members and cable portion to complete the
cable component.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0006] These and other features and advantages of the present disclosure
will be better understood by reference to the following detailed
description when considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings
wherein:

[0007] FIG. 1a is a schematic view of an embodiment of a manufacturing
system.

[0008] FIG. 1b is schematic cross sectional view taken along line 1b-1b in
FIG. 1a.

[0009] FIG. 1c is schematic cross sectional view taken along line 1c-1c in
FIG. 1a.

[0010] FIG. 1d is schematic cross sectional view taken along line 1d-1d in
FIG. 1a.

[0011]FIG. 2 is a schematic view, in an enlarged scale, of the encircled
portion 2 in FIG. 1a.

[0012] FIG. 3a is a schematic cross sectional view of a roller assembly
taken along line 3a-3a in FIG. 2.

[0013]FIG. 3B is a schematic cross sectional view of an embodiment of a
roller assembly.

[0014] FIG. 4 is a schematic side view of an assembly roller for use with
the manufacturing system of FIG. 1.

[0015]FIG. 5A is a schematic view of an embodiment of a manufacturing
system.

[0016] FIG. 5b is schematic cross sectional view taken along line 5b-5b in
FIG. 5A.

[0017] FIG. 5c is schematic cross sectional view taken along line 5c-5c in
FIG. 5A.

[0018]FIG. 6A is a schematic view of an embodiment of a manufacturing
system.

[0019]FIG. 6B is schematic cross sectional view taken along line 6b-6b in
FIG. 6A.

[0020]FIG. 6c is schematic cross sectional view taken along line 6c-6c in
FIG. 6A.

[0021]FIG. 6D is schematic cross sectional view taken along line 6d-6d in
FIG. 6A.

[0022]FIG. 7A is a schematic view of an embodiment of a manufacturing
system.

[0023] FIG. 7b is schematic cross sectional view taken along line 7b-7b in
FIG. 7A.

[0024] FIG. 7c is schematic cross sectional view taken along line 7c-7c in
FIG. 7A.

[0025]FIG. 7D is schematic cross sectional view taken along line 7d-7d in
FIG. 7A.

[0026]FIG. 8A is a schematic view of an embodiment of a manufacturing
system.

[0027] FIG. 8b is schematic cross sectional view taken along line 8b-8b in
FIG. 8A.

[0028] FIG. 8c is schematic cross sectional view taken along line 8c-8c in
FIG. 8A.

[0029] FIG. 8d is schematic cross sectional view taken along line 8d-8d in
FIG. 8A.

[0030] FIG. 9a is a schematic view of an embodiment of a manufacturing
system.

[0031] FIG. 9b is schematic cross sectional view taken along line 9b-9b in
FIG. 1a.

[0032]FIG. 9c is schematic cross sectional view taken along line 9c-9c in
FIG. 1a.

[0033] FIG. 9d is schematic cross sectional view taken along line 9d-9d in
FIG. 1a.

[0034] FIG. 9e is schematic cross sectional view taken along line 9e-93 in
FIG. 1a.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0035] Referring now to FIGS. 1a through 4, a manufacturing system is
indicated generally at 10. A cable portion or component, such as an
optical fiber 12, is fed from a spool or the like (not shown) and passes
through an extruder 14. The extruder 14 extrudes a polymer layer 16 over
the optical fiber 12. In an embodiment, the portion 12 comprises an
optical fiber or an electrical conductor comprising a polymer jacket
layer, similar to the polymer layer 16, disposed on an exterior surface
thereof. In such an embodiment, an extruder 14 would not be utilized for
the portion 12 already having the polymer layer 16, as will be
appreciated by those skilled in the art.

[0036] At least a pair of semi-circular-profile shaped wires 18 is passed
from a respective feed spool 19 or the like, through a first set of
shaped rollers 20 and a second set of shaped rollers 22. The shaped wires
18 may comprise a metallic material such as, but not limited to, copper,
nickel plated copper, steel alloys or the like. The shaped rollers 22
comprise a first roller 24 and a second roller 26. The first roller 24
comprises a concave inner surface 28 that substantially conforms to a
side surface of the semi-circular-profile shaped wires 18. The second
roller 26 comprises a convex inner surface 30 that substantially conforms
to an opposite side surface of the semi-circular-profile shaped wires 18.
The semi-circular-profile shaped wires 18 are disposed between the
surfaces 28 and 30 of the rollers 24 and 26 during operation of the
system 10, as seen in FIG. 3a and discussed in more detail below. In an
embodiment (best seen in FIG. 3B), a second roller 26' comprises a
substantially planar or flat surface 31 for engagement with the surface
of the semi-circular-profile shaped wires 18. It is understood that
greater or fewer rollers, such as the rollers 20, 22 may be may be
utilized for the system 10 in any suitable configuration. In an
embodiment, the rollers may comprise straightening rollers in an offset
configuration suitable for removing variations in the shaped wires 18
such that when the shaped wires 18 are joined together, the wires 18 will
form a substantially circular shape, discussed in more detail below. The
straightening rollers may comprise alternating individual rollers, such
as the roller 24, for engaging with only one side surface of the shaped
wires 18 at a time. Successive rollers, such as the roller 24, engage
with alternate outer side surfaces of the shaped wires 18 as the shaped
wires 18 move during operation of the system 10, discussed in more detail
below. The shaped semi-circular-profile shaped wires 18 pass through
rollers 20 and 22 to hold them in a proper general orientation prior to
closing over a cable portion or component, such as the optical fiber 12.

[0037] The shaped wires 18 and the cable portion 12 are directed to a
assembly roller 32. The multiple pairs of shaped rollers 20 and 22 ensure
the shaped wires 18 are in a proper orientation before entering the
assembly roller 32. The assembly roller 32 comprises a first roller 34
and a second roller 36, best seen in FIG. 4. The first roller 34
comprises a concave inner surface 38 that substantially conforms to an
exterior surface of one of the semi-circular-profile shaped wires 18. The
second roller 36 comprises a concave inner surface 40 that substantially
conforms to an exterior surface of the other of the semi-circular-profile
shaped wires 18. The portion 12 is directed to a position between the
semi-circular-profile shaped wires 18 and the surfaces 38 and 40 of the
assembly roller 32. The assembly roller 32 closes the wires 18 over the
portion 12, which places the shaped wires 18 and portion 12 to form a
core subassembly 44 in a substantially circular configuration, shown in
FIG. 1c. The assembly roller 32 may be configured to place the core
subassembly 44 in other configurations, such as an oval configuration or
the like. The shaped wires 18 may pass through a third (or more) set of
rollers 45 prior to entering the assembly roller 32.

[0038] After the shaped wires 18 and cable portion 12 have passed through
the assembly roller 32 to form the core subassembly 44, the core
subassembly 44 is completed with a fixing element in order to secure or
fix the shaped wires 18 and the portion 12 in the proper orientation for
subsequent use. The fixing element may comprise a polymer layer, a
mechanical element, or both, discussed in more detail below.

[0039] Referring now to FIGS. 5a through 5c, in an embodiment, the core
subassembly 44 passes from the assembly roller 32 through an extruder 46.
The extruder 46 extrudes a jacket polymer layer 48 over the core
subassembly 44 to secure or fix the shaped wires 18 and cable portion 12
in the proper orientation and form a jacketed completed component 50. The
completed component 50 is passed through a water bath, such as a chilled
water bath 52, to shorten the exposure of the optical fibers of the cable
portion 12 to high temperatures and to maintain the substantially
circular shape provided by the assembly roller 32.

[0040] Referring now to FIGS. 6a through 6d, in an embodiment, the core
subassembly 44 passes from the assembly roller 32 adjacent to a cable
taping machine or head 54, where a cabling tape 56 is passed around the
core subassembly 44 to secure or fix the shaped wires 18 and cable
portion 12 in the proper orientation. The core subassembly 44 with the
tape 56 then passes through an extruder 58. The extruder 58 extrudes a
jacket polymer layer 60 over the core subassembly 44 and the tape 56 to
secure fix the shaped wires 18 and cable portion 12 in the proper
orientation and form a completed and jacketed component 62. The completed
component 62 is passed through a chilled water bath 64 to shorten the
exposure of the optical fibers of the cable portion 12 to high
temperatures and to maintain the substantially circular shape provided by
the assembly roller 32.

[0041] Referring now to FIGS. 7a through 7d, in an embodiment, the core
subassembly 44 passes from the assembly roller 32 adjacent to a serving
machine 66, where a layer of served wire 68 is passed around the core
subassembly 44 to secure or fix the shaped wires 18 and cable portion 12
in the proper orientation. The core subassembly 44 with the served wire
68 then passes through an extruder 70. The extruder 70 extrudes a jacket
polymer layer 72 over the core subassembly 44 and the served wire 68 to
fix the shaped wires 18 and portion 12 in the proper orientation and form
a jacketed completed component 74. The completed component 74 is passed
through a chilled water bath 76 to shorten the exposure of the optical
fibers of the cable portion 12 to high temperatures and to maintain the
substantially circular shape provided by the assembly roller 32. The wire
68 may comprise, but is not limited to, a metallic wire, a synthetic
twisted yarn, or a rope.

[0042] Referring now to FIGS. 8a through 8d, in an embodiment, the core
subassembly 44 passes from the assembly roller 32 through a heat source,
such as an infrared heat source 80, which heats or modifies the exterior
surface of the shaped wires 18. The core subassembly 44 then passes to an
extruder 82, which extrudes a thin tie layer 84 of polymer over the core
subassembly 44. The tie layer 84 comprises a polymer modified to bond
with metal, for example, but not limited to, a polymer modified with
Maleic Anhydride. The core subassembly 44 with the tie layer 84 then
passes through an extruder 86, which extrudes a jacket polymer layer 88
over the core subassembly 44 and the tie layer 84 to fix the shaped wires
18 and cable portion 12 in the proper orientation and form a jacketed
completed component 90. The completed component 90 is passed through a
water bath, such as a chilled water bath 92 to shorten the exposure of
the optical fibers to high temperatures and to maintain the substantially
circular shape provided by the assembly roller 32.

[0043] Referring now to FIGS. 9a through 9e, the core subassembly 44
passes from the assembly roller 32 adjacent to a serving machine 100,
where a layer of served wire 102 is passed around the core subassembly 44
to fix the shaped wires 18 and cable portion 12 in the proper
orientation. The core subassembly 44 and served wire 102 then passes
through a heat source, such as an infrared heat source 104, which heats
or modifies the exterior surface of the shaped wires 18 and the served
wire 102. The core subassembly 44 and served wire 102 then passes to an
extruder 106, which extrudes a thin tie layer 108 of polymer over the
core subassembly 44 and the served wire 102. The tie layer 108 comprises
a polymer modified to bond with metal, for example, a polymer modified
with Maleic Anhydride. The core subassembly 44 and the served wire 102
with the tie layer 108 then passes through an extruder 110, which
extrudes a jacket polymer layer 112 over the core subassembly 44, the
served wire 102, and the tie layer 84 to fix the shaped wires 18 and
cable portion 12 in the proper orientation and form a jacketed completed
component 114. The completed component 114 is passed through a water
bath, such as a chilled water bath 116 to shorten the exposure of the
optical fibers to high temperatures and to maintain the substantially
circular shape provided by the assembly roller 32.

[0044] The embodiments presented herein comprise variations of cable
portions or components such as fiber optic cable components that use a
shared method of applying a rigid shell comprising at least two
semi-circular-shaped wires. By running the shaped wires through a series
of rollers, the shaped wires may better be held in the proper orientation
as they close over a cable component contained in a soft polymeric
jacket. This process may also allow for faster manufacturing speeds. Once
the shaped wires are brought together over the cable component comprising
the optical fibers, a number of methods may be used to secure or fix the
core subassembly together as the manufacturing process continues.

[0046] Embodiments of the cable component may form a slickline cable or
may be formed as a component of a wireline cable and used with wellbore
devices to perform a wellbore operation in wellbores penetrating geologic
formations that may contain gas and oil reservoirs. The cable components
and/or wireline cables may be used to interconnect well logging tools,
such as gamma-ray emitters/receivers, caliper devices,
resistivity-measuring devices, seismic devices, neutron
emitters/receivers, and the like, to one or more power supplies and data
logging equipment outside the well. The cable components comprise a
component of a seismic cable and used in seismic operations, including
subsea and subterranean seismic operations. The cable components may also
be useful as a component in permanent monitoring cables for wellbores

[0047] The preceding description has been presented with references to
certain embodiments of the invention. Persons skilled in the art and
technology to which this disclosure pertains will appreciate that
alterations and changes in the described structures and methods of
operation can be practiced without meaningfully departing from the
principle, and scope thereof. Accordingly, the foregoing description
should not be read as pertaining to the precise structures described and
shown in the accompanying drawings. Instead, the scope of the application
is to be defined by the appended claims, and equivalents thereof.

[0048] The particular embodiments disclosed above are illustrative, as the
invention may be modified and practiced in different but equivalent
manners apparent to those skilled in the art having the benefit of the
teachings herein. Furthermore, no limitations are intended to the details
of construction or design herein shown, other than as described in the
claims below. It is therefore evident that the particular embodiments
disclosed above may be altered or modified and such variations are
considered within the scope and spirit of the invention. In particular, a
range of values (of the form, "from about a to about b," or,
equivalently, "from approximately a to b," or, equivalently, "from
approximately a-b") disclosed herein is to be understood as referring to
the power set (the set of all subsets) of the respective range of values.
Accordingly, the protection sought herein is as set forth in the claims
below.

Patent applications by Joseph Varkey, Sugar Land, TX US

Patent applications by Vadim Protasov, Houston, TX US

Patent applications by SCHLUMBERGER TECHNOLOGY CORPORATION

Patent applications in class Conductor or circuit manufacturing

Patent applications in all subclasses Conductor or circuit manufacturing